The primary election in Chicago will be held on June 28th, 2022. Is anyone else having a tough time identifying the best candidates?
Believe me, the primaries are very important! Odds are that you live in an area which already leans politically one way or the other (left or right). For example, Chicago residents can bet that the Democrats will get the votes. The primary election in an area like this allows us to choose which Democrat will take the (congress, judicial, etc) seat.
Are you following me? If so, then you understand that the primary election is as important (possibly more important) than the general election. Most folks out there have it backwards!
If you’re like most normal people and you can’t recall from the top of your head which Congressional District, State Senate District, Representative, Judicial Sub-Circuit, etc and US district you reside in, check this page: https://chicagoelections.gov/en/your-voter-information.html. Even if you think you know, you should check anyway. This lookup also gives you the location of your polling place.
Note that I didn’t mention Wards. If you don’t know what Ward you are in, you should be ashamed. For Chicago residents, that’s basically like not knowing what City you live in. You can’t even get into Kindergarten without knowing where you live, right? But it’s never too late to find out!
Aside: For those of you in small towns the Alderman of a Ward in Chicago is basically the equivalent of a mayor in your neck of the woods. If you’re really out in the boonies and you don’t know exactly what a mayor does, bless your heart. Don’t worry about it.
Candidate list for Chicago: https://app.chicagoelections.com/Documents/general/Candidate%20List%20P2022.pdf
Judges are sometimes the most difficult to choose. These are folks that don’t necessarily have a direct impact on us. That is, until they do… However, they make difficult rulings that affect the community. It is probably more important than most voters understand. One site I like for information is https://www.injusticewatch.org/interactives/judicial-election-guide/2022-primary/en/
Some civil rights organizations and political interest groups publish scorecards that can help you choose candidates that reflect your values and priorities. If you are following any such organization you should check their website for helpful info. This especially applies to legislative candidates (i.e. US Senate, US Representative, State Senate, State Representative).
I am almost finished with the painstaking process of researching all the candidates for my area. If anyone knows of any other helpful sources of information (no specific endorsements please), share in the comments.
Hoy Manor 